Garden Center at Lompoc #6681

On those beautiful days, clean up the yard before everything blooms in earnest. Many people feel inspired to refresh their outdoor space for entertaining, as well. Planning your garden lets you make the most of your time and space. You can also add beauty and interest with hardscaping, stonework, and water features. No matter what outdoor projects you choose to tackle, The Home Depot Garden Center in Lompoc can help you enjoy your spring activities to the fullest.

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing you should know when planting vegetables, spring flowers, and other seeds is your planting zone. Every location in the U.S. and its territories is sorted into blocks by climate. Find your zone on the USDA plant hardiness zone map and learn when to plant seeds.

For example, you could transplant bell peppers outdoors in mid-March in Zone 10, but not until the end of May in Zone 4. The plants that'll thrive in your area are in your zone, and all the zones numbered less than that. In other words, a Zone 5 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–5. You can plant seeds indoors roughly a month before you can plant them outside, or direct sow. Read your seed packet for details. If you start seeds later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
This area is in growing Zones 8 or 9, but it’s desert, so utilize greenhouses to grow herbs and vegetables. Native plants like succulents, cacti, and other hardy desert shrubs will easily grow outside. Other beloved garden vegetables love the heat, like squash, tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. If you start them indoors and carefully introduce them outdoors in the shade, you can enjoy raising vegetables even in a dry climate. However, many flowers are sensitive to that much heat and sun, so research to find which varieties can handle the weather before planting outdoors.

An indoor garden of greenery is also lovely. Look into house plants and create an oasis within your home. A covered porch or sunroom is a great place to encourage plant growth, especially with plant stands and pots of all sizes. Your spring flower seed choices, whether they're annuals or perennials, can also often get an indoor start.

Start Seeds Indoors
Save money and gain the satisfaction of growing your garden from seeds by starting them indoors. We've got all the seed starter supplies you'll need. For best results, you'll want warming lights or a warming mat to go with your seed tray or planter pots. If you're planting a larger garden, use seed trays — like the ones you see sprouts in at your Lompoc Garden Center — to make it easy to stay organized and plant tiny soil plugs later. You can also use pots with seed starter mix and potting soil.

Measure your finger to use it as a ruler. In general, you'll plant 3–5 seeds, then press them into the soil to the depth you need with your finger. Mark where you planted the seeds with a plant tag or toothpick. Otherwise, it'll be a surprise when the sprouts push out of the soil.

Sprouts
When your seeds have sprouted but aren't ready to go outside yet, you can still prepare them for outdoor life. These inch-tall micro-seedlings are fragile but resilient. Seedlings certainly don't get all this pampering in nature, so they can handle more than you think. However, don't go overboard, as your sprouts are still babies. You can even use an oscillating fan on low to mimic the wind and strengthen their stems.

Harden Your Seedlings
Harden your seedlings for best results later. On days above 45 degrees, take your trays or pots of seedlings outside to slowly warm in the shade for two hours, but bring them inside at night. A cloudy day will also work well. Gradually add more outside time each day, gently introducing your plants to the sun. After a week or more of this, you can leave them out overnight if the temps stay at 50 degrees or above at night. Cover your plants if they're in the ground and a late-season frost sneaks back in.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
Place your transplants in the ground, then water them well. Blanket the surrounding ground with mulch, marking where the plant is with a tag or stick so you can easily find it among the grass clippings, old leaves, or straw. Consider putting up chicken wire or other protective measures if deer or rodents visit your yard regularly, as your sprouts may otherwise become a snack.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish your garden bed with mulch and compost. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster stronger plants that bear more flowers and fruit. Mulch controls weeds and keeps the soil moist. Mulch and compost can be DIY creations, but you can also purchase them in-store. The next time you're looking for "mulch near me," stop by the Garden Center to get the perfect amount.

Greet the Spring
Early spring is an exciting time in the world of gardening. Don't miss a minute of growing season. Plan your garden and landscaping, prepare to fertilize your lawn, and browse our garden center pages to find inspiration on what to plant when the weather warms. Shop for the fertilizer, seeds, and soil you need in the aisles of your Lompoc Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.